WHAT’S MY PPA RATING

USAPA RATINGS
There are also aptitude tests one can use to help determine a rating. Consider the following skills from USAPA and see where you might fall with your abilities. Here are some of the highlights of the criteria for each skill level:

A 2.0 player has an understanding of the rules, knows how to keep score, can demonstrate a forehand, backhand, volley, and serve accurately into the correct spot. That person also knows where to stand when serving and returning.

A 2.5 player knows the basic rules and the two-bounce rule, can hit a forehand and backhand with direction, is accurate with the serve, is able to sustain a dink rally, can volley with some direction, understands fundamentals, and can accurately keep score.

A 3.0 player can hit a medium-paced forehead and backhand, can serve with depth and accuracy, can control a dink rally, can hit a medium-paced third-shot drop, and can hit a medium-paced volley with direction as well as understanding the fundamentals of the game, positioning and has played in tournaments.

A 3.5 player can use a forehand and backhand with a moderate level of control, can consistently get the serve in, return the serve in, can serve deep, and can return the serve deep. This player can also sustain medium-length dink rallies, can control the height and depth of dink shots, and understands the variation of pace for dink shots.

A 4.0 player has all of the skills above and is accurate on overhead shots, can sustain a dink rally with control, height and pace, consistently executes third-shot drops from the baseline, and is able to change soft shots to power shots and then back to soft. A 4.0 player can also block and return fast, hard volleys and is always aware of their partner’s position on the court.

A 4.5 player can do all of the above and can set up shots to generate errors from the other team, recognizes and attempts to hit attackable dinks, poaches effectively, has effective lobs, good footwork, and is comfortable playing at the non-volley zone line as well as understanding strategy and can adjust during the game.

A 5.0 player has all of those skills above and has them mastered, can serve in a variety of ways with power and accuracy, mastered the dink shot, and exhibits patience during a rally.

All of the above, no matter what system you use to establish a rating, is a great way to get involved in singles, doubles, and tournament play. It allows a degree of consistency that works in whatever place you are playing. Often, courts are divided for recreational play based on skill. If you know your skill, you are more than likely to not just be comfortable, but also likely to have a better time.

Playing in games with highly skilled players when you’re just a beginner isn’t a lot of fun for any of the participants, but finding a game where players are of like skill is rewarding, a chance for some good exercise, and can be competitively fun.

Knowing your skill rating will add to your enjoyment of the game, get you set for tournaments and allow you to connect with pickleball players on any court at any destination.